POLICE BEAT

Man brings knife into Main Tavern

A Bangor man upset about comments made about his criminal past brought a knife into the Main Tavern in downtown Tuesday night and was charged for doing so, Bangor police Sgt. Paul Edwards said Wednesday.

James Labarr, 22, was “visibly upset and crying” when officers arrived at around 9:45 p.m. in response to a report of a disorderly person, he said.

“He wouldn’t tell them what was going on” initially, but Labarr later said he was upset, because someone had made unsubstantiated comments about his criminal history, Edwards said.

Labarr, who had an illegal knife on him, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and trafficking in dangerous knives, Edwards said.

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Labarr’s criminal history includes a conviction for unlawful sexual touching, violating conditions of release, harassment by telephone and assault on an officer, according to court reports printed in the Bangor Daily News.

The assault on an officer charge stemmed from an incident in September 2007 when he spit in the face of two corrections officers at the Waldo County Jail while being held for violating bail conditions — making harassing telephone calls while out on bail for the unlawful sexual touching charge.

He was sentenced to two years and two months in prison for the spitting and got six months for the sexual touching.

The knife was taken as evidence Tuesday night, and Labarr was not arrested, Edwards said. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)

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A Bangor man who grabbed $166 worth of running pants, sneakers and other apparel took off running out of Kohl’s without paying for the items Tuesday evening and was caught a short time later, Sgt. Paul Edwards said on Wednesday.

David Carr, 18, ran to the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, which is located just across the Parkade shopping mall parking lot from the retail store, which is where police quickly caught up with him, Edwards said.

Carr went into the bathroom at the restaurant but came out as police approached, Edwards said.

He was charged with theft and taken to Penobscot County Jail and remained there Wednesday night, a jail official said. (Nok-Noi Ricker, BDN)